Heitz is a member of the Oglala Nation, of South Dakota, and served as a leader for Iowa’s Native American Student Association during her time on campus.
While roller derby may not be one of the 20 varsity teams fielded by the University of Iowa, former Hawkeye Theresa Heitz has made an impact for herself and her people as a competitor nonetheless.
A proud member of the Oglala Lakota, of South Dakota, who are themselves a part of the Great Sioux Nation, Heitz recently competed for Team Indigenous at the 2025 Roller Derby World Cup, hosted July 3-6 in Innsbruck, Austria.
“This is a sport for women, so it’s amazing that it’s given an opportunity at such a high stage,” Heitz said in an interview with The Daily Iowan. “But also Indigenous women who play this sport too, it’s giving us a big platform that we normally don’t get.”
Often described as a fast-paced and full-contact sport, roller derby has steadily grown in popularity around the world in recent years.
The 2011 Roller Derby World Cup, hosted in Toronto, Ontario, Canada, drew a playing field of 13 teams, including Australia, France, and Brazil. This most recent iteration of the competition saw a record 48 teams competing. These included national teams, as well as different groups such as the Black Diaspora, the West Indies, and Wales.
Heitz spoke highly of the competition, which saw Team Indigenous face off against teams from Japan, Iceland, and Scotland.
“It’s just really fun,” Heitz said. “This is an amazing opportunity to come to another country. These are the best roller derby athletes in the world competing. It’s pretty amazing.”
During the four-day competition, Team Indigenous toppled Team Japan, 146-123, before falling to the Czech Roller Derby Team, 173-125, and Team Scotland, 253-116.
Heitz’s teammate, Scara ta Death, represented the Nakota for Team Indigenous, primarily located on Montana’s Fort Belknap Reservation. A skater since 2007, Scara plays as a blocker, a primarily defensive position that makes up a majority of those on the track.
Scara credited her role on Team Indigenous as a way to explore her roots.
“I haven’t been able to learn a lot about my heritage or culture,” Scara said. “Being a part of Team Indigenous has given me the chance to learn more about my indigenous roots, learn more about the culture, and meet others who have similar stories and backgrounds. It’s given me a platform and a place to feel more myself.”
After fierce competition at OlympiaWorld Innsbruck, Team USA took the championship by storm, nabbing a 208-55 victory over Australia. Despite many of the teams present representing individual countries, Scara believes roller derby to be a platform for groups not often represented in more mainstream sports.
“I feel that as a culture, indigenous culture has been suppressed,” Scara said in an interview. “Roller derby and this team in general has given us a platform to be indigenous and who we are and show that we can be who we are and play a sport just as well as everybody else.”
Team Indigenous, also known as Indigenous Rising, shares these views publicly on their website, all while encouraging the strengthening of their athletes, programs, and cultures.
“We formed this team to unite in our shared experiences as Indigenous peoples and roller derby players in a landscape where we are often forgotten,” the website reads. “We use our platform to show other athletes and community members what is possible for Indigenous sports across tribes, borders, and nations.”
Scara also acknowledged that this idea could apply elsewhere, too.
“I think other sports could follow suit and allow that to shine and grow,” Scara said.
Heitz ultimately credited Team Indigenous as a beneficial part of her life.
“As a student, I was really involved in the American Indian Student Association,” Heitz said. “I really found my family, but then I stayed in Iowa City after I graduated, and I still have part of that family, but it was missing in the other aspects of my life. I found that again when I joined Team Indigenous.”
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